5 alarm chili is a very hot beef and pinto bean chili that gets its fire from five different sources: jalapeños, chipotles in adobo, chili powder, cayenne and dried ancho chiles. The anchos are blended with tomatoes and crushed tortilla chips into a thick red sauce, then simmered with browned ground beef, beer and spices for about an hour.
How to make 5 alarm chili: soften dried ancho chiles in the microwave, blend them with tomatoes, water, tortilla chips and chipotles in adobo, brown 2 pounds of ground beef, cook onions and jalapeños with the spices, add beer, then simmer everything with 3 cans of pinto beans for 50 to 60 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Five layers of heat, not just one hot spice.
- Adjustable: the recipe card has a lower-heat option.
- Thick without flour: blended tortilla chips do the thickening.
- Feeds 6 from one Dutch oven.
What Does 5 Alarm Chili Mean?
The name comes from a “5-alarm fire,” a fire big enough to need a large response. A 5 alarm chili is a very spicy one, and in this recipe the heat comes from five ingredients:
- Jalapeños: two, minced with their seeds.
- Chipotles in adobo: 1/4 cup, plus 2 teaspoons of the sauce, blended into the base.
- Chili powder: 2 tablespoons.
- Cayenne: 1 teaspoon.
- Dried ancho chiles: 2 ounces, softened and blended.
How to Turn the Heat Down (or Cool a Bowl)
This chili is hot as written. The recipe card itself allows a milder pot:
- One jalapeño instead of two.
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne instead of 1 teaspoon.
- 4 garlic cloves instead of 6.
With the lower amounts, the chili still has a full, layered spice flavor without making your eyes water. To cool a bowl at the table, top it with a little sour cream and avocado, add sliced green onion or chopped cilantro, and serve cornbread on the side.
Ingredient Notes
Beef. Two pounds of 85% lean ground beef. Leaner 93% beef also works.
Beer. One and a half cups of a plain beer. A dark, strongly flavored beer can make the chili bitter.
Tortilla chips. Three-quarters of a cup of crushed corn tortilla chips, blended into the sauce. They thicken the chili and add a corn flavor, much like masa.
Beans. Three 15-ounce cans of pinto beans, rinsed.
Spices. Cumin, chili powder, oregano, coriander, cayenne and 2 teaspoons of sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dried ancho chiles (4 to 6), stems and seeds removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
- 3 1/2 cups water, divided
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice
- 3/4 cup crushed corn tortilla chips
- 1/4 cup canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, plus 2 teaspoons of the sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
- Salt and pepper (1 teaspoon salt for the beef)
- 2 medium onions, chopped fine
- 2 jalapeño chilis, stemmed and minced, seeds included
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 cups plain beer
- 3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed
How to Make 5 Alarm Chili
1. Soften the ancho chiles. Combine the ancho chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the water in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until softened, about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Drain and discard the liquid.
2. Blend the chile sauce. Put the anchos, tomatoes and their juice, the remaining 2 cups of water, the tortilla chips and the chipotles in adobo in a blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.
3. Brown the beef. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a Dutch oven until it starts to smoke. Add the beef, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook until well browned, breaking it up, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the meat in a colander and set aside.
4. Cook the onions and spices. Heat the remaining 4 teaspoons of oil in the Dutch oven and add the onions and jalapeños with their seeds. Cook about 5 minutes, until the onion is nicely browned. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, coriander, sugar and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the beer. Pour in the beer and bring to a simmer.
6. Simmer. Add the beans, the ancho-tomato sauce and the beef and return to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook 50 to 60 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beef reaches 160°F on a food thermometer.
Variations
- Fresh-pepper version: five kinds of fresh peppers (Anaheim, pasilla, serrano, jalapeño and red bell pepper) with chili powder, tomato paste, cocoa and bay leaves, simmered 2 to 3 hours with ground or cubed chuck roast. Kidney and black beans go in for about the last 20 minutes.
- Cubed beef: beef shoulder or stew meat in 3/4-inch cubes, with stout, chipotles in adobo, and black and kidney beans, cooked 3 hours at 325°F.
- A touch of chocolate: half a chocolate bar, finely chopped, stirred in at the last minute, or 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Over tamales: spoon the chili over steamed tamales and top with chopped onion and shredded sharp cheddar.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until the chili comes to a rolling boil (165°F). Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with cornbread, sour cream, avocado, green onion and cilantro. For chili and pasta in one pot, try chili mac. For a milder bowl, try Wendy’s chili or quick and easy taco soup, and for more Tex-Mex bakes, there’s tamale casserole, layered taco bake and one pot Mexican rice casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 5 alarm chili mean?
It’s named after a 5-alarm fire, a big fire that needs a big response. The chili is very spicy, with heat from five ingredients: jalapeños, chipotles in adobo, chili powder, cayenne and ancho chiles.
How do you make 5 alarm chili?
Blend softened anchos with tomatoes, tortilla chips and chipotles, brown the beef, cook onions and jalapeños with the spices, add beer, then simmer it all with pinto beans for 50 to 60 minutes until the beef reads 160°F.
How hot is it, and how do I make it milder?
It’s very hot as written. Use 1 jalapeño and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne for a milder pot, and top bowls with sour cream and avocado.
Can I use a dark beer?
Stick with a plain beer. A dark, strongly flavored one can make the chili bitter.
Final Notes
Five heat sources, one pot, and a bowl of sour cream standing by. Tell me in the comments how many alarms you went with.
5 Alarm Chili
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Ingredients
- 2 ounces dried ancho chiles 4 to 6, stems and seeds removed, flesh torn into 1-inch pieces
- 3 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 cups to soften the chiles, 2 cups for the blender
- 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes 1 can, with their juice
- 3/4 cup corn tortilla chips crushed
- 1/4 cup chipotle chilis in adobo sauce canned, plus 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 teaspoons for the beef, 4 teaspoons for the onions
- 2 pounds ground beef 85% lean
- salt and pepper 1 teaspoon salt for the beef
- 2 medium onions chopped fine
- 2 jalapeno chilis stemmed and minced, seeds included; use 1 for less heat
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper use 1/2 teaspoon for less heat
- 1 1/2 cups beer a plain beer
- 3 cans pinto beans 15 ounces each, rinsed
Instructions
- Combine the ancho chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the water in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until softened, about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Drain and discard the liquid.
- Put the anchos, tomatoes and their juice, the remaining 2 cups of water, the tortilla chips and the chipotles in adobo in a blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a Dutch oven until it starts to smoke. Add the beef, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook until well browned, breaking it up, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the meat in a colander and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 4 teaspoons of oil in the Dutch oven and add the onions and jalapeños with their seeds. Cook about 5 minutes, until the onion is nicely browned. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, coriander, sugar and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the beer and bring to a simmer.
- Add the beans, the ancho-tomato sauce and the beef and return to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook 50 to 60 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beef reaches 160F on a food thermometer.
Notes
Nutrition
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